Capel Named to Werner Ladder Naismith College Coach of the Year Semifinalist
3/10/2023 4:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Head coach Jeff Capel is one of 10 semifinalists for the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith College Coach of the Year as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club Friday afternoon. Pitt is currently 22-11 overall and finished tied for third in the ACC with a 14-6 record in league play.
The Panthers have posted their first 20-win season since 2015-16 and the most conference wins in a season since joining the ACC. Capel has already engineered an 11-game wins turnaround from a year ago (tied for second largest in program history) and an eight-game conference wins turnaround that is a school record.
Capel is joined on the lsemifinalst list by; Chris Collins (Northwestern), Mick Cronin (UCLA), Dusty May (FAU), Matt Painter (Purdue), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), Bill Self (Kansas), Shaka Smart (Marquette), Jerome Tang (Kansas State), and Rodney Terry (Texas).
Pitt has built an outstanding resume during the 2022-23 season rebounding from a 1-3 start to win 21 games since Nov. 20. Additional season highlights:
"Each year we are amazed by the remarkable coaching performances that elevate these contenders as candidates for the Werner Ladder Naismith College Men's Coach of the Year," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. "The end of the regular season, with tremendous pressure on each game, usually separates those seeking to advance in the next step in our voting."
"Werner Ladder is honored to be a part of highlighting and recognizing these coaches for an incredible season and their outstanding leadership on and off the court," said Stacy Gardella, head of Global Marketing Technology & Operations at WernerCo. "Each of these coaches is deserving in their own right, and we are excited to follow them throughout the rest of the season."
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men's and women's college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men's and women's college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA's Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women's recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike's and Werner Ladder.
ABOUT WERNER LADDER COMPANY
Werner, the official ladder of NCAA® March Madness® and the world leader in ladders, offers a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights. The portfolio includes ladders, attic ladders, scaffolding, pump jacks, stages, planks, stepstools, accessories and fall protection equipment including harnesses, lanyards, anchors and compliance kits. From ladders to fall protection, WERNER provides a full line of climbing equipment that's engineered to give you maximum safety, durability, and productivity at every height. All Werner products meet or exceed applicable international safety standards. For more information, visit www.wernerladder.com.
The Panthers have posted their first 20-win season since 2015-16 and the most conference wins in a season since joining the ACC. Capel has already engineered an 11-game wins turnaround from a year ago (tied for second largest in program history) and an eight-game conference wins turnaround that is a school record.
Capel is joined on the lsemifinalst list by; Chris Collins (Northwestern), Mick Cronin (UCLA), Dusty May (FAU), Matt Painter (Purdue), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), Bill Self (Kansas), Shaka Smart (Marquette), Jerome Tang (Kansas State), and Rodney Terry (Texas).
Pitt has built an outstanding resume during the 2022-23 season rebounding from a 1-3 start to win 21 games since Nov. 20. Additional season highlights:
- The Panthers have recorded their first 20+ win season since the 2015-16 campaign. Pitt also set an ACC program record with 14 conference wins.
- Pitt recorded seven road wins, tied for fourth most in the NCAA among power conference teams.
- The Panthers went 8-3 during the regular season against the top half teams in the ACC standings with wins over Virginia, Miami, NC State, Wake Forest, Syracuse(2x), and North Carolina (2x).
- The Panthers have four Quad 1 victories (Virginia, at NC State, at North Carolina, at Northwestern) and three Quad 2 wins (Miami, North Carolina, at Syracuse).
- Pitt's 11-win improvement from a season ago is tied for the second best in program history, while its 8-win increase in ACC play is a program best. Pitt is one of just three teams in ACC history to post a .700 win percentage in league play after four consecutive losing seasons.
"Each year we are amazed by the remarkable coaching performances that elevate these contenders as candidates for the Werner Ladder Naismith College Men's Coach of the Year," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. "The end of the regular season, with tremendous pressure on each game, usually separates those seeking to advance in the next step in our voting."
"Werner Ladder is honored to be a part of highlighting and recognizing these coaches for an incredible season and their outstanding leadership on and off the court," said Stacy Gardella, head of Global Marketing Technology & Operations at WernerCo. "Each of these coaches is deserving in their own right, and we are excited to follow them throughout the rest of the season."
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men's and women's college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men's and women's college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA's Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women's recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike's and Werner Ladder.
ABOUT WERNER LADDER COMPANY
Werner, the official ladder of NCAA® March Madness® and the world leader in ladders, offers a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights. The portfolio includes ladders, attic ladders, scaffolding, pump jacks, stages, planks, stepstools, accessories and fall protection equipment including harnesses, lanyards, anchors and compliance kits. From ladders to fall protection, WERNER provides a full line of climbing equipment that's engineered to give you maximum safety, durability, and productivity at every height. All Werner products meet or exceed applicable international safety standards. For more information, visit www.wernerladder.com.
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